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Woods Withdraws From Bridgestone

Tiger Woods withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday with a back injury.

Woods, who missed several months earlier this year due to back surgery, bent over in pain after hitting his tee shot on the ninth hole. He walked down the fairway, then withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.

At the time, Woods had fallen to 4-over par for the tournament with a birdie, two bogeys and a double-bogey on his front nine.

Woods, who won this title last year for an eighth time, injured his back on his second shot on the par-5 second, where his tee shot stopped in the rough just above a bunker. After hitting his shot from the awkward lie, Woods jumped backwards into the trap.

"It happened on the second shot. I just jarred it and it has been spasming since," Woods told a tour official as he left the parking lot.

After that, Woods hit several poor shots. He dumped one in the water on No. 3 and that led to his first bogey.

At the fifth, he hit a chunky tee shot on the par-3 and landed 65 yards short of the green. He managed to get up and down for par though.

Woods was in right trees off the sixth tee. He clipped a tree with his second and his ball ricocheted into a concession stand. After a drop, he hit a stellar chip inside 10 feet, but missed the par putt.

At the par-3 seventh, Woods' tee shot landed in a bunker. He nearly shanked his sand shot back into the fairway. From there, Woods took three more shots en route to a double-bogey.

Woods managed a par on the eighth, and teed off the ninth before pulling out. He also told the tour official that the injury is in a different spot than where he was operated on earlier in the year.

Now, next week's PGA Championship and a potential spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team are in doubt. U.S. captain Tom Watson had said he would pick Woods if he were playing well, but now there is no telling when we will see Woods back on the course.

If it is just spasms, he could be back as soon as Thursday at Valhalla for the season's final major. If the injury is more severe, Woods's season could be over.